How to play Tickshift: the one rule behind 500 logic puzzles
Tickshift is a logic puzzle where every line follows one rule: straight, else right, else left. Learn how a level works and how to solve your first board.
The board and the cores
A level is a small grid. Some cells hold a core: a colored block (red, blue, yellow or green) with a number on it. The number is how many cells that core will paint. A level can have up to four cores, and all of them start at the same moment.
Every cell a line paints becomes a wall for every other line. That is what makes the puzzle: lines run into each other’s trails, and each turn changes what the next line can do.
The rule, in three lines
Each step, every line looks at the cell in front of it:
- Keep going straight if that cell is free.
- Blocked? Turn right.
- Still blocked? Turn left.
If all three are blocked, the line is trapped and stops. Edges of the board, walls and painted cells all count as blocked. That is the whole rule. Try it on the board below: turn the arrow, then press RUN.
From the game
Each colored core grows a line, one cell per step. You don’t draw the path, you plan it. Try it: press RUN.
- 1Keep going straight.
- 2Blocked? Turn right.
- 3Still blocked? Turn left.
Plan, run, solve
A level plays in three beats, and you can repeat them as often as you like.
| Beat | What you do | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Plan | Place arrows, walls and the other pieces you are given. Tap a piece to turn it. | Nothing moves yet. |
| Run | Press RUN. | Every core grows its line at once, one cell per step, through your pieces. |
| Solve | Watch. | Every cell filled with no collisions: solved. Otherwise, rewind and change one piece. |
How you win, and how you lose
You win when the board is full. Two things stop a run early:
- A collision. Two lines step into the same cell at the same moment.
- A trapped line. A line runs out of room before its core has painted all its cells, so some cells stay empty.
Neither costs you anything. Rewind, look at where it went wrong, and move one piece.
Your first levels
The first chapter teaches the rule with one core and an arrow. New pieces arrive every few chapters (walls, delays, rotators, splitters and portals) across 20 chapters and 500 levels. Each level was checked to be solvable. Read every piece explained when a new one appears, and the strategy guide when the boards get bigger.
Questions
What is the goal of a Tickshift level?
Fill every empty cell of the board with color, with no two lines entering the same cell at the same moment.
Do I draw the lines myself?
No. You place pieces such as arrows and walls, then press RUN. The lines grow by themselves and follow the rule: straight, else right, else left.
Is there a timer or a move limit?
No. There are no timers and no lives. You can rewind and run a level as many times as you like.
Is Tickshift free?
Yes. Tickshift is free to download on the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPhone Duo.
